Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to automated bingo games. More particularly, the invention is a bingo game system and method that may be operated in either banked or non-banked modes, where non-banked mode uses pre-determined pools of prize values from which prize amounts are drawn for each bingo game winning event and banked mode uses either prize pools or random number generator (RNG) output to select prize amounts. Both modes provide an entertainment display mimicking non-bingo games of chance having novel display-mapping capabilities.
The Prior Art
Traditional bingo games, using paper bingo cards with either manual or automated ball-draw systems, are known. Players buy a bingo card or cards, and when the minimal number of players as determined by the bingo hall or casino are ready to play (can be on the order of 20 per game, but varies widely), the current bingo session is considered closed; players subsequently purchasing cards will play in future game session sessions. Those having purchased cards for the current bingo game session may be considered “enrolled” in the game about to start. Players currently enrolled watch as a sequence of bingo balls is drawn. The players daub (mark) their cards in squares or spaces corresponding to the balls drawn (alternatively, an electronic card version may be auto-daubed). After a player daubs a pre-specified winning pattern on their card(s) and declares they have won by calling out “bingo”, the current game is typically considered over.
Many variants of bingo exist, including the ability to have multiple winners in a single bingo game and the ability for players to participate in progressive jackpots. An example of a bingo game with multiple winners would be to provide a first prize to the first player to cover 5 squares in a row or diagonally, and then a second prize to the first player to complete an “X” pattern consisting of two diagonals.
If a player misses declaring a winning pattern on a card by failing to call out “bingo”, the ball draws continue until someone proclaims bingo on a subsequent ball. Further, although there is one (or sometimes more than one) card pattern(s) designated as the game winning patterns (such as filling in a row or column), there are typically other predesignated patterns that enable a player to win additional prizes. Examples include “corners” (filling in each of the four outer corners of your bingo card), “boxes” (e.g., filling in a 2×2 box anywhere on the card) and blackout (covering all the entire card's spaces after using a specified number of drawn balls less than 75). After play stops, players with winning cards are paid. The next game then begins with players enrolling for that game.
With the advent of Amerindian casinos operating under IGRA (25 USC §2701-§2721), where bingo games may be run without entering into state compacts, there has been an increased demand for bingo games providing more varied play, quicker game turn-around, and more betting options than are currently possible.
Additional player interest to broaden the commercial appeal of bingo can be generated by providing additional visual displays after completion of a bingo game, while preserving all the critical defining elements of bingo. One such additional display may be called an entertainment display. Entertainment displays are displays showing the results of bingo games in ways other than a traditional bingo card. This is often displayed to a player by first showing the bingo game's results on a bingo card, followed by a secondary display (may or may not be on the same physical device) where the secondary display shows the same winning amount as the bingo card in an alternate fashion.
The most commercially desirable secondary display is a visual representation of a casino-style reel game. After showing an initial reel display followed by apparent reel motion (spinning), the reels must become stationary such that the symbols and payline or other simulated game element (like a bonus display) show a payout that is equivalent to the amount won on the bingo card. The term “entertainment display” is used because the reel game (or other displayed game) is shown to the player after the bingo game has been completed. No outcome is determined by the visual display of reels spinning, etc.; the outcome is pre-determined by the bingo game results. Since the display cannot affect winnings (game outcome), and the winnings are already known at the time the display starts, it is for entertainment purposes only. This is different than traditional reel slot machines, where the game outcome is determined by the position of the symbols on the reels after the reels (or the video representation of them) stop moving. Entertainment displays tend to dramatically improve the commercial appeal of the game of bingo.
Entertainment displays may mimic any known games of chance, such as slot machines, poker, or keno. Players who play at both bingo halls and in Nevada-style casinos have a “feel” for the familiar games being mimicked, where “feel” means developing an intuitive familiarity with the frequency of game events including the occurrence of pay events and the typical payout amounts. Thus, to have a realistic feel to players of both types of machines the best entertainment displays are those that truly mimic the look and feel of how the actual reel game plays, not just the graphical characteristics of the game.
In prior art systems the method used for generating a mapping between bingo card winnings and existing reel games is to map each winning line from the pay table of the existing reel game directly into a winning bingo card pattern. This limits bingo game entertainment displays to mimicking only older, simpler reel games having single pay lines due to the complexity of finding mathematically equivalent bingo card patterns. An example follows.
Looking at FIG. 8, shown are example tables used with a simple 3 reel, 32 stops/reel, equally weighted, single payline slot machine. For the purposes of discussing the prior art, table 8A is used. For each line in table 8A, a corresponding winning bingo card configuration must be generated using probability calculations. For example the likelihood (probability) of getting three suns, “”, while playing the reel machine may correspond with the probabilities of getting a four-corners win in less than 6 balls in a bingo game. Next, a winning bingo pattern for “3-Bar 3-Bar 3-Bar” must be calculated, and so on for each line. For simple reel games using 3 reels and a single payline, these calculations can be lengthy but are achievable within reasonable effort. As can be seen in from Table 8A, 12 lines need to be mapped from the reel game being mimicked back to winning bingo cards. Note that not only will each different machine require this set of calculations, but even each single-payline, 3 reel, 32 stops/reel game will typically require this set of calculations as well, as each game, even when using the same hardware, will typically have different payout tables (i.e., its own version of table 8A). This becomes so time intensive as to be prohibitive, typically resulting in a limited number of games used in entertainment displays.
The problem becomes virtually insurmountable when reel games having more complexity, such as the currently popular 5 reel 9 payline games, are targeted for use in an entertainment display. These games have literally thousands of table entries which must somehow be mapped to winning bingo cards; as a result, current entertainment displays do not mimic these newer, more complex reel machines or reel games. Entertainment displays are thus limited to mimicking older, simpler 3 reel games with single paylines.
There is a need for providing entertainment displays that can realistically mimic high complexity reel games and reel machines, while maintaining traditional bingo game play including, at the operator's choice, the ability to insure a fixed, constant percentage of player's card purchases (wagered amounts) is retained by the casino or bingo hall.